The Hindu
NEW DELHI, November 4, 2015
“Attempts to saffronise curriculum”
Sweta Goswami
Hundreds of youth in the Capital on Tuesday congregated discuss the problems with the country’s education system. Keeping in view the ongoing protests by academicians, authors and artists, several speakers, including senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, cautioned on attempts to “saffronise curriculum” and said it would result in the destruction of scientific temperament.
Highlighting the recent Allahabad High Court judgment directing government officials to compulsorily educate their own children in government schools, Mr. Bhushan proposed that all public servants across States follow suit.
“We should hold public hearings across the nation to highlight the state of government schools. The percentage of children of political leaders and officers who actually study there should also be made public,” he said at a Youth Convention, organised by Swaraj Abhiyan at the Constitution Club. Several youth also expressed their angst over lack of jobs.
He further mentioned the Vyapam scam as “Exhibit A”, illustrating how it is impossible to get a government job without paying a bribe as all State Public Service Commissions have become completely corrupt.
“Selection of State Public Service Commission members should be made transparent and conducted by a duly-constituted selection commission, operating under defined norms, instead of the whims of ruling politicians,” said the Swaraj Abhiyan leader.
Swaraj Abhiyan co-founder Yogendra Yadav criticised the education system calling it “an extremely unfair one, which is basically a pipeline for ensuring that children of the rich remain rich and children of the poor remain fit only for breaking stones as daily labourers”.
“The truth of our education system is that four of five students never see the insides of a college and the differential treatment accorded to those educated in English and those educated in Indian languages is nothing short of apartheid,” he added.
“The greatest system of reservation in the nation today is reservation in favour of children of the rich, through the operation of private colleges operating through high tuition and capitation fees.”
Timarpur MLA Pankaj Pushkar claimed that half the students had failed in the board exams in Delhi last year.
“Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s decision to chop off school syllabus in senseless ways will result in reducing the quality of education further for children of the poor. If Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is unable to improve the standard of education in Delhi’s schools, he should handover the task to the Swaraj Abhiyan, who will do a better job,” Mr. Pushkar added.
Also present at the convention were Prof. Anand Kumar, Ajit Jha, Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi, Delhi University Teachers’ Association president Nandita Narain, Prof. Chaman Lal and Anupam, along with students and youth representatives from various parts of the country.
Education system criticised as “an extremely unfair one, which is basically a pipeline for ensuring that children of the rich remain rich and children of the poor remain fit only for breaking stones as daily labourers”
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